The Lover's Blood
by Bakainu2112
Summary: Vampires have been given a curse inhibiting creation. When the last viable vampire breaks the chain of creation, the vampire world is thrown into turmoil. With vampires dying out, how will the last ones survive? A new kind of vampire story.
1. Introduction

"_Blood of lover, sweet and pure…_

_Completes the change, strong and sure…"_

It is written in the vampire histories that the first of our kind was Caine. For his crimes against man, he was punished by God to walk the night, ravenous for the blood of human beings. Throughout our long memory, we have stalked humans, taking our nourishment from their life force: blood. One generation, many millennia ago, was particularly insatiable. The Antediluvians, as Caine's thirteen grandchildren came to be known, began creating new lives with reckless abandon. When the children of Caine began to flaunt their power, they were struck down with a punishment from God. He cursed forever their ability to create more vampires. This curse has carried through the millennia to us today: we can only create another with our first immortal kiss. In addition, our kiss must be taken from someone who is dear to us.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Vampire novels written, and this is an original story. This is not based on anything by Stephenie Meyer or Anne Rice, so please do not say this is not as good as their work or such. Please read and review this introduction, and then the first chapter. This is still a rough idea and will get better with time and work.


	2. Chapter 1: Blood of a Lover

I awoke to the sound of the lace curtains blowing about in the breeze from my open bedroom window. Sitting up, I noticed it was still dark outside. The clock's glowing red numbers alerted me to the time: 2:03 am. Groaning, I flopped back onto my bed; I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't shake the feeling of terror sitting in the pit of my stomach. Then it dawned on me; I hadn't opened my window that day. It was unnaturally cold for September, and I had even worn a heavier coat to school that morning. I sat up, searching the room. My eyes darted across the room, seeing nothing. Everything that happened next is clear in my long memory: rustling from the corner of my room, footsteps moving towards my bed. The end of my bed being pushed down by someone's unseen weight. Strong hands on my shoulders, cold skin leaving goose bumps in their wake. Finally, breath on my neck and a voice I had not expected to hear.

"Please forgive me."

There was no time for realization to sink in as a slash of pain ripped its way through my throat. Without even a voice to cry out, I lay motionless in the arms of my unseen predator. I listened to the sounds of him drinking the warm blood that flowed from my neck as I slipped further away. After a few moments, he sat up to look at me. It was then that face and voice finally connected in my mind.

"Will?" I gurgled feebly. "What…?" He placed a cold finger on my lips.

"I have been greatly changed, Anna." The last remnants of myself were slipping away, but still I managed a sarcastic comment. "Oh _really_?" I snapped. Ignoring my last attempts at humor, he began to explain himself.

"I've been changed, Anna. Three days ago I woke up in my backyard. It was actually the burning that woke me up…I had been laying in full sunlight; without any idea why it hurt. I found out what had happened when I reached the safety of my house. There was blood splattered on the walls of my room, and my body was different. I do not know who changed me, but I realized quickly what I was. Anna, you have the choice. Whoever changed me did not give it to me, but took my memory; however they did leave me with this knowledge. I can only change someone with this, my first immortal kiss. You are now bound to me, Anna, and you may now come with me."

I was desperately trying to fight the darkness that was overtaking me. I couldn't absorb what he was telling me; I was losing too much blood. I understood that he was telling me something important, but I couldn't push through the haze.

"Anna! Anna! Will you come with me?" Will called through the fog.

"Yes, Will. Bring me…" I accepted, not entirely sure what was happening. The darkness descended, finally, but the pain was back. All I saw was blackness, but the pain was excruciating. After what felt like eternity, I felt cold skin push against my lips.

"Drink, Anna." Commanded Will. Warm liquid flowed slowly into my mouth. It tasted like rust and salt. At first I tried to reject this unwelcome sensation, but rapidly the liquid began to taste sweet; delectable even. I drank eagerly then, sitting up. "Slowly, slowly. Don't _drown_ yourself." I could hear the smile in his words. A warm chuckle shook his chest. It was then that I realized where I was: held up in his arms against his chest, with his bleeding wrist in my mouth. Part of my consciousness was completely shocked by this revelation, but the other part was utterly new…awake, alive, and _well._ I was feeling stronger every second. I freed myself from Will's wrist slowly, turning my head to look at him. He looked back at me, as if he was seeing truly for the first time. With slow movements, he wiped a drop of blood from my mouth and brought it to his own lips. "And now, you are mine." He murmured soothingly.

"What?" I asked, just slightly confused.

"We are bound now. I told you that already." Will began explaining. "I told you that I could only turn someone with my first kiss didn't I?"

"Yes, you did say something like that…" I trailed off, trying to see through the fog of what had been my last human moments.

"I neglected to mention something…I could only turn someone who I truly cared about. Your first kiss must be bestowed upon someone you _love._"

"What?" I stood up, too quickly. The movement was just too fast; I stopped dead, thrown from my senses for a moment. "Are you saying that…"

"Yes, Anna." He laughed again. I noticed how positively warm it was. A sound I could wrap myself in. "I've been in love with you for ages. You are surprisingly dense."

"Okay, I suppose I can handle that." I sorted things in my head. "Alright, question time. Number one: I'm a _vampire_ now?"

"Yes." I let that sink in for a few moments.

"Number two: I have the ability to create another?"

"Yes."

"Number three: It must be someone I love?"

"Again, yes." Will shook his head. "Don't worry, there will be time. Plenty of it. For now, we must see about getting protection from the sun." At this I glanced at the clock again. Nearly 5 am.

"So that's true, is it?" I mused.

"Yes, that is completely true. And quite painful I might add," Will smiled in spite of himself. It was a lopsided smile, and something about it was highly charming. "So as you can see, we have to find some protection."

"Okay, okay, I have an idea." I left the room, again astounded by how quickly I moved, and fetched the biggest towels we had from the linen closet in the hall. I moved gracefully and silently back into my room where I quickly covered the windows with the towels. "Better?"

"That should be alright. It won't be perfectly dark, but as long as we stay out of direct sunlight we'll be fine."

"Okay then." I climbed back into my bed, still absorbing all the changes.

"You look beautiful…" Will said softly from the end of the bed.

"Oh…thank you." I said, embarrassed. I felt like I would have been blushing if I could have. "Um, I'm guessing you're staying here?"

"Unless you want me to leave you with absolutely no information and burn up when dawn hits, that is correct." There was that lopsided smile again.

"May I?" I pointed to the light.

"Yes, you may." Came the reply. I clicked on the light, and looked into Will's face. It was the same, unremarkable face that I remembered from the last three years of my high school life. Plain brown eyes, short, spiky brown hair with tints of a golden brown color. His skin was noticeably paler, and his eyes appeared sunken. Otherwise, he was just the same. I moved to my mirror and took myself in. The same ever-changing green eyes that I loved; the same brown hair. I wasn't beautiful, just the same; paler and sunken, but the same. Slightly disappointed, I hopped back onto my bed. "Shall we then?" Will asked, gesturing to the bed.

"Um-but…um?" I stuttered, frazzled.

"Don't worry," he said, taking my hand. "It's just for now. The sun?"

"Ah. Um, yes." He took me into his arms and pulled the blankets up over our heads. I spent that first day of my immortal life wrapped in Will's arms.


	3. Chapter 2: The First Dawn

I awoke that night to the sound of Will's voice just after sunset.

"Anna, you can let go now." Startled, my body jumped. I noticed that I had caught Will in a death grip at some point.

"Oops, sorry." I let go, moving too quickly again. I hopped up, still amazed at my new-found grace and speed.

"How did you sleep?" Will asked. He lounged across my bed, as if he owned it. His confidence bothered me slightly.

"Alright, I guess. Will I have to sleep in a coffin from now on?" I asked petulantly.

"No," Will denied. "That's fallacy. We just cannot be exposed to sunlight while we sleep. Anything that can accomplish that is fine. Not that you will never have to sleep in a coffin…It may occur one day because that is your only option; but better to be creeped out than dead, right?" He chuckled again. He stood up and straightened out his clothes. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans. I was still in my pajamas.

"Okay, time for you to get out. I need to change." I tried to push Will out the door.

"S'cuse me, but aren't your parents outside of your room somewhere?" Will queried, obviously questioning my sanity.

"OH MY…HOLY COW! My parents!" I exclaimed. "What in the hell am I supposed to do about them? They are going to freak out! I can't tell them…I-I-" I flopped onto the bed, completely unnerved.

"Anna, chill out." Will put his hands on my cheeks, gently, and raised my face to meet his gaze. "I've basically run away. If you tell someone without the intention of turning them, they must die. I won't make you do that to them, so you simply need to leave."

"Simply? SIMPLY! How can you say that? They're my parents! I can't just _leave_ them!" I panted, feeling my throat dry out and burn in the process. "Ow." I was momentarily distracted from my tirade.

"You're thirsty?" Will wondered. I nodded. "Oh no…I thought you had more time than this. My blood took too quickly." Will started pacing, worried.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded with my hand cupped around my throat.

"It took me over three days to start being thirsty." He explained. "I thought you'd have more time! If you are to survive, you must drink soon."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, the time has come, whether you like it or not."

Will questioned me for the next ten minutes. I answered to the best of my ability, trying to remember my foggy human experiences. Who did I care about? What can I say about them? Will they be missed? How can you get away from your parents? Will they search for you? How long? I felt like I was being interrogated in a murder case. The questions finally ceased with one answer.

"Daniel Welsh." A strange expression crossed Will's face. It looked like a combination of extreme sadness and pain. I realized he was jealous of Daniel. He had been my boyfriend on and off for about a year, and I truly cared for him.

"That's it then. Go to him." He turned away from me, clenching his fists. Something tugged at my heart at the sight of him in so much pain. "Drink, change, and then return to the place we decided. I'll write the note for your parents." We set about to our tasks. Will forged a suicide note to my parents. I decided that it would be easier for them if I were dead, instead of giving them the hope to keep searching. I packed some clothes and a few books into a backpack. Will scoffed at this, but I assured him that I needed them. "Get moving. It'll be dawn in a few hours."

I nodded and leapt from the window. I had put on a pair of jeans and my favorite green sweater, which helped me move through the night fairly undetected. I ran to Daniel's house, meeting no one on the way. After stashing my backpack in the plastic-tube toy in the park down the block, I darted through the trees to Daniel's backyard. It was exhilarating, running like that. The trees moved past my eyes as if they were liquid. I could see _everything_. Every grain in the bark, every tiny, quaking leaf. The colors were muted, but beautiful and deep. I marveled at my boundless energy. I reached the yard and looked at the back of the house. Daniel's window was open, luckily, and a simple leap from where I was. I took a step back and threw myself from the ground. It felt such a simple thing to just put my feet out and land silently in his bedroom. He was in his bed, the covers thrown back. He wore only his plaid pajama pants, and I could see the pulse pounding beneath the thin skin of his neck. The burn in my throat flared, making everything else fade in its wake. I climbed onto the bed and leaned toward the pulse, almost delirious with thirst. The moment my cold lips brushed his neck, Daniel jerked awake. I leapt back, terrified, forgetting to feign humanity.

"Anna? Is that you? What are you doing here?" He asked, groggy.

"I, uh, just…" I stammered, trying to think past my aching throat. The scent of him filling the room was driving me mad. I needed fresh air to be coherent.

"Come here, Anna. Tell me what's going on." I moved a few steps closer, nearly being dragged by the burning ache. He grabbed my hand and jerked his hand back, shocked. "You're _freezing_!" He exclaimed. "What the hell?" I moved for his throat again and he screamed. A blood driven haze descended upon my senses. I sank my teeth into his neck, cutting of the scream. The blood tasted marvelous. Sweet and musky, but not nearly as good as Will's had been. Daniel's body became cooler by minute increments and his heartbeat slowed. Still, I drank. His body went limp in my arms and the heartbeat ceased. Only then did I realize what I'd done. I dropped his body onto the bed and backed away.

"Daniel?" I whispered. "Oh no…" I had killed him.


	4. Chapter 3: To Run

I was off and running through the forest again. Instinctively, I tasted the air for any sign of danger and listened anxiously for the sound of sirens in the night. I burst through the trees near the playground where I had planned to meet Will and immediately I turned away and darted across the street, away from the park. Suddenly, I heard someone approach from behind me. I pushed myself still faster, hoping to shake my pursuer. The sounds of pursuit lessened for a moment, and I became less hurried, my eyes scanning the forest for a place to hide from the oncoming dawn. Suddenly, the threat from behind me was gone entirely, and I stopped, immediately startled. My new instincts kicked in; I sank into a defensive crouch, preparing for attack. My head reeled around in circles, seeing nothing in the deep blue-green shadows of the forest. A cracked branch to my left sent me flying at the sound, teeth bared, growling deep in my chest. I smacked into something cold and my arms were pinned to my sides.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" remarked an unfamiliar voice dripping with sarcasm. I struggled against the hold, growling and spitting insults at my captor. Without even time to comprehend the movement, I was on the ground with my wrists held together and a hand clamped around my throat. This person was obviously a vampire, yet I had no idea what they wanted with me. Sure, I'd _killed_ someone, but as a vampire, hadn't they all? It couldn't be that big a deal. The hand around my throat constricted, cutting off my air and bringing me back to focus on my captor. I'd never seen him before, even as a human. He was tall, blonde, and striking, in a very "Abercrombie" model way. As he crouched over me, I began to panic, struggling further against his restraining hands. "Keep trying, little girl." He taunted. "I've lived much, _much_ longer, and you'll need a few more centuries if you hope to challenge me." He twisted my wrists to emphasize his point. "Now, listen up. Who was that kid who created you?" He asked, releasing his grip on my neck slightly.

"Will…William Greye." I stammered, coughing a bit from the pressure on my throat. "Why do you care?" I glared at my captor, wishing for the mobility to bite his hand off.

"Because," he said harshly, "you were the last." I stared up at him in uncomprehending blankness. He glared at me, obviously peeved by my seeming ignorance. "The _last_." He repeated slowly, as if I were five years old, "the last viable vampire in existence."

"And you would know this _because?_" I snapped at him, still with no idea what he was talking about.

"You really are an idiot," he snapped back. "You were the last one who could turn someone. We are, essentially, fucked now." I stared up at him in mute horror. He released my neck and wrists suddenly, and reappeared ten feet away from me in the forest. He moved so quickly that, even as a vampire, I had trouble following. His power was unlike anything I'd seen in my life. "I hope you're ready to face what you've done, little girl. They'll all be after you now. I suggest you run." And with that, he vanished completely leaving only rustling leaves in his wake. I bolted back the way I came, desperate to find Will and wake up from this nightmare. As soon as the playground was in sight, I pulled up short and tried to comprehend what I'd been told. I couldn't understand how anything that violent bastard had said could be true. I scanned the street quickly, knowing Will and I would have to take cover very soon. I darted across the street, grabbed my backpack, and found Will in the playhouse underneath the "Big Toy" structure. He sighed in relief the moment he saw me crawling through the pink plastic door, but then confusion rearranged the features on his face.

"I….I killed…him…" I relayed slowly, staring at my shoes. Everything hit me in that moment. I'd killed Daniel, the only person I'd ever really come to love, and done something horrendous in the process. I looked at my hands; they were shaking and even still splattered with his blood. My eyes and throat burned, but not with thirst; a horrible, broken, choking sound came from my mouth as I realized I couldn't even cry anymore. I covered my mouth to stifle the horrible sounds emanating uncontrollably from my body, and even my lips were still caked in Daniel's blood. I barely stifled a scream, and Will reached out for me, but I shoved him away. "Don't you dare touch me! I _hate_ you." I seethed at him between the choking sobs. "I HATE YOU! You did this to me! It's your fault!" I tried to claw at him in my grief and rage, but he was already stronger than me; his pain at seeing me this way made him strong, while my pain sapped my strength and reason. He pinned my arms and held me to him while the sobbing continued. But, dawn was coming and we needed to move.


	5. Chapter 4: Alone and Lost

Will dragged my heaving body along the streets, shouldering my bag and my weight easily. I was still crying brokenly, and I could barely bring my feet to drag themselves one after the other. Eventually, Will just scooped me up into his arms; I was too distraught to even care about how much I hated him at that moment. We ended up hiding out in a cemetery all day, waiting in the deep stone chill of a mausoleum with a heavy wooden door. _"Will had said there might be a day where I'd have to sleep in a coffin," _I thought wryly. I had chosen the furthest corner from the door, the furthest from Will. I was angry and bitter enough that I hoped the door would fly open and expose him to sunlight, but, I then realized that I'd never have anyone to talk to…I was just selfish enough to want to hold on to the only person I had.

"What happened to you?" Will asked me, suddenly. I thought he had fallen asleep, he'd become so quiet and still leaning against the wall.

"What do you care?" I snapped.

"You came from the forest," he explained. "Not the direction of Daniel's house. Where did you go? Who met you?"

"Met me?" I tried to let some acid drip into my tone. "I didn't bolt into the forest to go meet some date, if that's what you think of me." I was still full of hatred for what he did to me, what he made me do. My anger at the strange blonde man was rising up into my throat, hurling itself at Will as well. I never got angry as a human, but suddenly it was as if all of my emotions were bubbling over at any one moment.

"You smelled like someone…familiar." Will started. "I don't know why, but whoever you bumped into had a familiar scent…and it was _all_ over you. What the hell else am I supposed to think, Anna? It's not like I have any delusions that you're just suddenly going to be in love with me. You may be mine, but it isn't like I can forcibly mold your feelings."

"Well at least you still have your grip on reality," I spat. "I didn't go meet someone immediately after killing the guy I loved. I ran off in terror, and some asshole grabbed me around the throat, pinned me down, and acted as if he was the superior authority over me." I flipped my hair over my shoulder, something I tended to do when I was aggravated. "He started blathering on about something that made no sense. He kept acting like I was an absolute _infant._ Going on about "you were the last," blah blah."

"Wait, _what?" _Will darted over the stone casket so quickly that I didn't realize he'd moved until he was pushing me into the stone wall, his face just inches from mine. I was momentarily distracted by his eyes, which seemed to have flecks of gold in them. "ANNA."

"What?" He looked at me intently. "Oh, sorry. You're very distracting." He rolled his brown-gold eyes and looked at me again; he were nearly burning with interest and I found it hard to remember what the heck I'd been talking about before he jumped into my face. In that brief movement, I'd almost completely forgotten my anger at Will, which was misplaced anyway, and remembered the feelings I'd noticed earlier. I sighed and shook my head. "He said, 'You were the last who could turn someone. We are, essentially, fucked now.' Oh, after calling me an idiot." Will was staring at me with a look of growing horror, but I continued blathering, my anger bubbling up again. "He then told me to run since 'they'll all be after you now,' apparently. I still don't really get what he was going on about. How could I possibly be the last of anything, let alone vampires? I mean, vampires can't possibly be _that_ scarce. Unexplained disappearances? Murders? If vampires actually exist, a lot of those become explained…" I rambled on for a minute more before Will took my shoulders and shook me.

"ANNA. Are you really _that_ dense?" He was practically shouting at me in fear.

"Probably," I interjected, more anger creeping back into my tone. "But what-" "Just shut up for a second, would you?" He started pacing around the mausoleum so quickly I could hardly follow. "This is _bad_…" he was muttering. "Shit, how could I possibly have been so stupid! The _LAST!_ How was I supposed to know that? That god damned bastard… Shit. Shit shit shit!" I stared at him pacing around the casket in the center of the mausoleum for a minute before I stood up and crossed my arms. I let him go off on his tirade for another moment before I walked into his path and punched him in the head. He crashed into the floor, stunned. I shook my hand out; it actually hurt like the devil.

"Your face is _hard,_" I complained. "Now, will you stop muttering and tell me what the hell is going on?" He raised his hand to his face, and squeezed his nose gingerly. Not broken, apparently. _"Good,"_ I thought._ "I would have felt bad for that."_ He looked up at me for a second or two before standing up to his full height and staring me in the face.

"What was that for?" He shouted at me.

"For calling me dense," I retorted, slightly intimidated.

"You are, dummy."

"Doesn't matter, does it?"

"Sure it does. If you weren't so dense, you would've chosen me." That threw me for a loop, and I stumbled backwards as if his words had pushed me over. "What?"

"You heard me," he snapped, trying to push his hurt off as anger. "You'd have chosen me if you weren't so stupid. That guy was never good for you, yet you stuck around him for far too long. And now, you killed him and screwed _everything_ up." My eyes started to sting at his accusations. If he was trying to piss me off again, he was certainly doing a great job.

"Shut up." I tried.

"No." He snapped. "I will not shut up. Do you remember that time you missed school for two weeks last year? Of course you don't, you were too drugged up. I bet what no one told you was _why_, and that's because no one but he and I knew. He beat the shit out of you three months into your relationship. I bet you don't even remember him hitting you until you passed out three blocks from my house. I was walking my dog and I heard you crying from a block over. My dog took off with the leash toward you and I caught him standing over you with his bloody fist above your head. He said you'd been hit by a car and he was trying to help, but I knew what he did. You spent two weeks in the hospital in an induced coma. Do you even remember the bruises? They were there for _weeks!_" He was so passionately angry that he was shaking, and he looked as if he were about to break into the wracking sobs that had sapped my reason the night before. I stared at him in horror, trying to remember the awful things he claimed Daniel had done.

"What are you talking about?" I was trembling; my hands instinctively went to cover my head. "You're lying! I WAS hit by a car! A drunk driver swerved onto the sidewalk…I wasn't paying attention…Daniel tried…"

"He beat you, Anna! He beat you bloody and wasn't even going to call 911 until I spotted him! Don't lie to yourself!" I had collapsed to the stone floor by this point, holding my head and trembling violently. There were awful flashes: Daniel shouting, pain, blood drops on the pavement, a dog barking, confusion, fire in my ribs from cracks… I started screaming as if it would drown out the pain. The sudden onset of memory was enough to split my head open and I couldn't understand why I wasn't dying. I had repressed my own memories to keep myself sane. Will bent down and picked me up off the floor, brought me into the corner of the mausoleum, and rocked me as I screamed. He held me to him, and completely wrapped himself around me. I couldn't feel the cold stone, just the muscular softness of Will's frame. I could feel his chest shuddering as he cried for me and the pain he had caused me.

"I'm sorry, Anna…" he cried. "I'm so sorry for everything…"


	6. Chapter 5: Broken

_Chapter 5: Broken_

By the time the sun set that night, Will had cried himself out and I was nearly catatonic with shock. I didn't want to believe Will, but the evidence against Daniel was irrefutable. I _had_ spent two weeks in the hospital with serious injuries last year, but until this moment I had truly believed I'd been run down by a drunk driver. The miracle of the human brain… Will tried shaking my shoulder but I could barely comprehend the meaning of the gesture. He tried again, and eventually spun my body to face him. I couldn't even lift my chin to look at him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. It felt like his words should mean something, but I was still too far away. He set me down against the wall and stood up; he disappeared outside for a few minutes or a few hours, I had drifted too far away to care. Eventually he came back and thrust something furry under my nose. My eyes focused on it briefly before I catalogued it in a dead-sounding voice.

"This is a raccoon," I said, robotically.

"Yes. Now drink up," Will commanded.

"This. Is a raccoon," I repeated. Will sighed audibly and sat down in front of me.

"Drink the damn raccoon before I force it into you."

"How do you plan on doing that?" I asked, petulantly. It appeared that even in my low-functioning state, I could still be a pain in the ass.

"Drink."

"No."

"_Drink._"

"_No._" Will sighed again, bit into the raccoon effortlessly, and seemed as if he was going to keep it to himself. That suited me fine, I didn't feel like living much anyway. As I started to slip back into the glassy-eyed coma of disbelief, Will grabbed my head, whipped it back, and, using his other hand, tugged my chin down so he could force feed the raccoon blood to me. I stared at him in shock, trying to lean forward to spit the blood from my mouth. He clamped his hand over my mouth swiftly, keeping a firm grip on the back of my head; it was either swallow or choke. I forced the warm liquid to go down my throat; it tasted a little bit like road kill and cat food. Apparently, this raccoon really _was_ what it ate.

"Are you going to drink the rest voluntarily?" Will asked, shoving the limp raccoon back into my hands. "Fine," I snapped at him. I was beginning to slip back into my body, much as I longed for the drifting mist of shock I was enjoying before. The blood warmed me slightly, and as I drank a bit more, glaring at Will all the while, I began to come back to myself. "Where's your breakfast?"

"I ate outside," Will replied, staring out of the crack he'd left in the doorway. The last rays of the sun had slipped behind the horizon, leaving that in-between time to take over the landscape. Will started muttering quietly to himself; it sounded like poetry. I listened intently, all the while acting like a good girl and sucking on my raccoon. " 'And neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabelle Lee…' "

"Annabelle Lee?" I interjected, crossing to toss my raccoon through the door and into the woods. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't exactly dredge the memory up. It must have been insignificant enough that it slipped quickly from my vampire mind.

"Edgar Allen Poe," Will responded distractedly. He was still staring out the door. I wondered what he was watching for. " 'It was many and many a year ago in a Kingdom by the sea…' " very famous poem. Don't you remember it from English last semester?"

"Can't say I do," I replied. "Most of my memory looks really disjointed."

"I'd forgotten about that. Try to remember things a few times and they start to come back. Your brain wants to fight against it though, since your senses are so much better now." Will stood up and brushed off the seat of his pants. He looked out the door again; his eyes were boundless and deep with a sorrow I didn't understand. Without thinking, I stood in front of him and raised my hands to his face. I suddenly wanted to anchor him here, with me. His eyes slowly lost their far off gaze and settled back on me. I couldn't guess what he saw in my face, but he suddenly looked as though I'd given him the greatest gift, but also the greatest pain imaginable. He twisted his face from my grasp and moved to get my bag. "We should get moving."

"Where are we going?" I was suddenly full of dread and fear. There was someone out there, possibly waiting for us, and we had no plan for what to do next.

"The library," he began to explain, "we need some serious information. If that attacker was right, you were really the last one. The bastard who turned me didn't stick around to explain anything, but he must have had some motive. He left me, untrained, to fend for myself. I turned you, and then you killed the next in line." His face turned dark for a moment, and I wondered what it would have been like for him, having Daniel along. It couldn't have been good, given what I'd learned about myself in the last twelve hours. I suppose I felt a little glad that I'd ruined everything. Surely I wasn't _truly_ the last viable vampire in the entire world. "We can start at mythology and work our way back." He shouldered my pack, and I suddenly realized that he had nothing with him.

"Will, why don't you have anything with you?" He looked at me, as if curious as to how I didn't notice this before. Maybe I really was as dense as he called me.

"You heard about what my house looked like…I had to make a…" he paused for a moment, shrugging, "speedy getaway." I looked at him, sadly. I'd shoved what little savings I had in cash in my bag, and I did still have a bank account. I made a pact with myself to get Will at least another change of clothes next time we came near a department store. We left the mausoleum and started out for the nearest library. It was small, but perhaps it would hold something of use. Or, at the very least, a lead to another source of research. I looked at my hands in the fading light, wondering how that everything could be so changed in only a couple of days. My hands still held traces of Daniel's blood; I paused and crouched in the damp grass, trying to wipe them clean. These hands had done many things: petted a kitten, cooked, handled tough ropes at the climbing cliff, caressed Will's face, held Daniel while I murdered him. I began trembling again, and after noticing my absence, Will ghosted behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked up, into his face. He looked unfathomably sad. I promised myself that I would never put that look on his face again.


	7. Chapter 6: New Leads

_Chapter 6: New Leads_

Will and I ghosted through the streets, avoiding vehicles and foot traffic. We even took to the trees a few times when crossing through the park; there were a few couples out and about necking on the benches. Crossing the trees was exhilarating, it was almost like flying. We had to leap from branch to branch, making no noise so as not to startle anyone in the grass below. At one point I had a misstep and started to topple from the tree, but I threw an arm out just in time; my senses were so much faster now. It was nothing to just reach my hand out at the right moment and catch a sturdy branch. I swung to a halt, and then flipped back into the higher branches. I could hear Will chuckling a few trees over, laughing at my clumsiness. I guess even vampire reflexes couldn't make up for inherent klutziness. Without any more tumbles, we made it to the library unseen. It was only about eight at night, so the library was still open. We gave each other a quick glance, and I shrugged. I didn't notice anything wrong with Will the first time I'd looked at him, so I assumed no one else would notice either. I took two steps toward the building before I remembered why we couldn't be seen.

"Wait!" I hissed, grabbing Will's arm and leaping into the shadows to the side the building. "I can't believe I forgot why we were sneaking around. We're both dead, remember?"

"You're dead," he corrected. "I'm a murderer." My heart froze.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"My room was a crime scene when I woke up, remember? I saw no sign my parents had come running when I was probably screaming for mercy from my creator. And I certainly could not have shed that much blood on the walls myself…." I gaped at him, realizing he was probably right. I laid my head on his chest, knocking him gently against the wall. My arms encircled his waist, squeezing gently.

"I'm so sorry," I offered in a whisper. "You shouldn't have to go through that." He hesitated with his arms half up, as if afraid to hold on to me. I burrowed closer to his chest, trying to offer some semblance of comfort to this boy who had lost everything, even me. He slowly put his arms around me, and I could feel him trembling around me.

"Well, you're a murderer too," he tried joking. His words sent a sharp knife into my heart, and I leaned away, shooting a withering glare at him. "Okay, okay, not funny. I got it." He pulled me close again, as if not wanting to let go of my compassion. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have made you do that, creation be damned."

"You had to send me," I defended into Will's shirt. "Even if you didn't know."

"There must have been another way. I shouldn't have made you." His arms tightened, crushing me to his chest as he buried his face in my shoulder. He was trembling faster, and I slid my arms from around Will's waist, eliciting a whimper from him. He glanced up at me, with a look of fear and longing in his eyes. It was as if he was watching me from far away, unable to reach across a void of darkness back to me. It pained me to see him that way, as if all hope had fled his heart. "Please," he whispered. "Don't…" Without thinking, I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him back to me, kissing him on the lips. My response shocked him into stillness, and I pulled away, ashamed of myself.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't think before I…" I turned my head away, sick at what I did, especially with Daniel's blood still caked under my nails. I twisted away from Will's frozen hold on me, trying to tear myself away from the hurt I surely must have just caused him. I struggled to escape his arms for a moment, but he was still frozen in shock. "Let go," I begged, quietly.

"No," Will snarled, breaking out of his shock. He turned me around and pulled me back, capturing my lips with his. He kissed me fiercely, rendering any thoughts I'd had a moment ago completely useless. His kiss was passionate and powerful, pinning me down with the weight of it. He turned with me in his arms and pushed my back into the wall, moving with a speed I couldn't comprehend in my current position. Will wrapped one arm around my shoulders and one around my waist, pinning my arms to my sides and my body between him and the wall. He pulled away for air for a moment, leaving me gasping with shock, fear, and sadness. He claimed my lips again, moving the arm from my shoulders to grasp the back of my head, holding me to him absolutely. I squirmed and managed to free my left arm, using it to push against his chest with what strength I had left after this onslaught. He released my waist and placed his hand over mine, over the place where his heart was thudding quietly. Finally, Will pulled back to stare into my eyes, his burning with their intensity, as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. He leaned in to brush his lips against mine once more, gently, in a warm caress.

"Why?" I whispered. "You- I- everything- just…" I stammered, halfway between crying again and running for the trees.

"You'll never understand how much I've wanted that, how long I've waited." I twisted my head from his grasp, my lips trembling in revulsion and regret tinged with an odd feeling… Was I feeling…wistful? I couldn't understand the sense of melancholy that came over me as I tried to refuse Will's advance. I wanted him to leave me be, and yet I wanted him to take me back into his arms.

"Please… let me go." I sighed, hoping he'd hear the double-edge to my words. His eyes hardened, and he let go of me, stepping back. The wind blew between us, raising goose bumps on my exposed skin.

"The library closes soon," Will declared in a voice colder than the wind. "We can get in the back when they all leave." He melted into the darkness under the trees, leaving me alone with my shame.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered to him, far too quiet for him to actually hear. "What have I done to you?"


	8. Chapter 7: Bonds That Were Broken

When the lights in the library finally went off, Will was still hidden in the forest somewhere so I scooped my bag off the ground and wandered around to the back door. It was simple to pick the lock with a conveniently discarded bobby pin, and I slipped through the door soundlessly. I deposited my bag at a table away from the windows and started scanning shelves.

"Greek mythology, Norse mythology, African, Chinese…" I murmured to myself as I trailed my fingers over the well-worn spines. Eventually I pulled a stack of books ranging from many cultures, as well as the only book pertaining to vampires in the entire section, entitled _A Complete History of Vampirism_. I found it somewhat comforting that we were under "myths" and not "fantasy." Myth implies that there is some nugget of truth hidden deep within centuries of speculation and mystery. I pored over the books at hand, working most of the way through the night. Each culture's mythology had its own "vampire" myth, with a few similarities here and there. None of these stories seemed to mention any creation curse, so I proceeded to pile them to one side of the table. By about 4 in the morning, my eyes were burning and my brain was overloaded with emotions I'd been holding back. Will had not yet appeared, so I kept biting back on my thoughts, trying not to contemplate just how deeply I had wounded him earlier. I feared he would never forgive me and that his disappearance was going to be permanent. I turned my attention to the last book, the _Complete History_, and I shoved my fears away to concentrate. It wouldn't help either of us any if I started crying again, though I wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and wait for Will to come back so I could throw myself on his mercy and fix everything.

Strength and determination won out, and I opened to the table of contents. It was organized by time period, ranging from pre-history and biblical times to modern 21st century, while also including a small end section that predicted our existence and influence into the 25th century. I flipped a few pages to the beginning of the book and began to read, grateful that I could now scan 20 pages of a book in less than 2 minutes. It explained the biblical theory of Caine and Abel, even going into Caine's thirteen grandchildren and their insatiable appetites. The horrors they wreaked upon humanity were particularly unsettling, and in punishment God cursed them. I had started to glaze over after the bloody details of their "feasts," but my eyes popped open on the words "punishment" and "curse." I read on. "Caine's thirteen grandchildren, the Antediluvians, had wiped out most of humanity during this time. For penance, they were stripped of their abilities to create 'children' at will, and instead must curse those they loved to their own unspeakable fate. They were also now only able to create one other in their lifetimes. God believed that this would curb their insatiability and their swelling numbers, though some attempted to circumvent this fate…" I stared blankly into the darkness, contemplating this. I doubted that "God" had done this to anyone or punished any of his "children" in this manner; though, given my own existence at that moment, I supposed it could be possible.

My reverie was interrupted by the feeling of someone reading over my shoulder. I subtly started changing my stance in the chair, readying myself to flip out of it and face my attacker as needed.

"Will?" I whispered, tentatively.

"It's me," he replied hoarsely. The anguish in his voice told me he had been crying…or screaming. I kept my eyes on the ground as I stood and placed the book in his hands.

"Here," I muttered, my voice breaking. "It explains a good bit." I walked toward the back of the library, unable to face him at that moment. I could feel his eyes follow me to the door before I disappeared into the night. I took a few deep breaths of the cold, open air, and scaled a tree in an attempt to abandon the pain in my heart on the ground. It followed me there, much to my dismay. I searched the heavens, willing an answer to present itself in the patterns of the stars. They drifted overhead, getting fainter as pink light slowly began to tinge the eastern horizon. I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned back against a sturdy fork in my tree, sorting through what had happened and how I felt about it. I was both angry at and extremely hurt for Will; his kiss had both made me soar and want to lash out at the same time. I knew I had started it, but the force with which he returned it was startling. But the look he gave me when I tried to pull away…even remembering it made me ache and want to hold him again. I wanted nothing more than to banish that look from his features forevermore. It was like seeing the person you love die in front of you, knowing there was nothing you could do to save them. But, the only way I could do that was staying with him, loving him, forever.

"Could I really love Will?" I murmured to the stars. "I mean, I know I _could_ have loved him…before…but could I still come to love him now? Is there a way we can move forward the way we were?" I let out a harsh laugh. I knew there was no way to go back to what it was before tonight, or even before last night. He hated me and he hated Daniel for what had happened between us, and I hated him for bringing those memories back to me. I went back to talking to the stars, as if they could hear me. "Perhaps if I could leave him…they would come after me and leave him safely out of the mess I created. Then, he could go about some semblance of a life, I would be dead, and his problems would be over." I looked up beseechingly, hoping for an answer.

"Would you really be strong enough to leave me?" The cold reply came from the ground, behind me to the left. I glanced around silently, knowing that Will must have heard most of my conversation. "Tell me honestly," he barked, as if expecting me to lie to his face. "Are you just looking at me now because your boyfriend is dead or because I'm the only thing you've got left?" The ice in his words stung deeply, as was his intention.

"It's not like that," I tried.

"Not like what, Anna? Not like you want me? Not like Daniel meant something? Not like I'm all you've got and you resent it? I'd love to hear it." His words burned and froze at the same time, with an edge that left me breathless with fear. I slipped from the tree and landed quietly on the balls of my feet.

"Do you want the truth?" I queried quietly.

"Sure, try me. It can't possibly get any worse." The dismissal in his voice hurt more than the hatred. At least the hatred was fueled by anger and not disappointment.

"I didn't love you then, though now I wish I had. Clearly, you're a much better choice than Daniel, though I was too blind to see it. You're right. I'm a piece of shit, don't try to deny it. I also wish I had died by Daniel's hand because then at least I wouldn't have screwed you up so much. You don't deserve to have me as your responsibility for the rest of your existence because every time I touch you, I fuck you up worse. I _will_ walk away now, Will, if only to spare you more pain. They'll hunt me down and destroy me like I deserve. If you're lucky, they'll make it really painful to so at least you'll have some recompense for what I've done to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything! I'm sorry that I'm weak, I'm sorry that you love me, I'm sorry that you're entire life is now fucked up because I am here." He was watching my tirade with a stony expression that I couldn't read. "I want to love you like you deserve to be loved, but I am broken now. The only guy I thought I loved is dead by my hand, and his blood is still dried under my fingernails. At this point, I'm a worthless piece of shit who doesn't deserve you; so, rather than torture you any longer, I'd honestly rather go and kill myself in the dawn light than put you through this for another day." I stared at him, not even sure what my face looked like, while my shoulders shook with the force of my emotions. Any feelings I'd had for Will in the last few days had completely been squashed by the force of my self-hatred. If I couldn't be who he wanted or needed, I couldn't imagine forcing my presence on him anymore and causing him more pain. He was a genuinely good person, from what my human memories told me. What right had I to come along and hurt him? His expression was still frozen in that stony, contemplative mask. I turned on my heel and darted back into the library, fetching my book bag from the chair where I'd left it. The vampire book was gone, but the others I'd pulled were still there. I assumed Will had the book, so I would have to do without. My legs felt like lead as I trudged back to the door, all of my speed and energy spent hurling my pain outward. When I reached the steps outside, I started for the trees. Will materialized before me, his hands shaking.

"Goodbye, Will," I muttered, starting to step around him.

"Don't go," he tried.

"I should." I looked up at him. "It'll be better for us both."

"Please. Please, don't go," he begged. I looked up; the light was rising in the east in earnest now.

"Find cover, Will. It's not safe out here." I went back facing the forest, not wanting him to see the pain on my face.

"Come with me."

"I can't…I-" Will interrupted me by sinking to his knees and wrapping his arms around my hips, appearing vulnerable and child-like. I felt absolutely torn in half. I wanted so badly just to crawl into his arms and make it all go away, but I also wanted to run and circumvent any further damage. I could feel my selfishness winning as I sank to my knees and put my hands on either side of Will's face. He looked up at me with a mixture of sorrow, gratitude, and deep pain on his face. I choked back a sob and cradled his head to my chest, wondering if I'd ever tear myself away from him.


End file.
